The Difference Between ‘Just a Job’ and a ‘Great Job:’ The Value of Happy Employees

Everyone has experienced working at jobs that they simply endured and jobs that they loved. What is the difference between “just a job” and a “great job?” Why does this difference matter to employers? The more employees love their work, the happier they are and the more valuable they become to the organization, which itself becomes more valuable as a result.

Why Happy Employees Increase the Value of Your Company

Study after study has shown that there is a correlation between profitability and happy employees. Employee happiness is reflected in the company’s bottom line in several different ways:

Happy employees are more productive

Happy employees are healthier and have less absenteeism

Happy employees don’t leave for the competition

Happy employees are more innovative

Happy employees tend to make other people around them happier and more productive

Link Between Job Satisfaction and Happiness

Because happy employees make such valuable contributions to companies, companies have spent a lot of time trying to understand employee happiness.

Some of the factors that improve employee happiness include:

Being recognized for their good work

Feeling like an important part of a team

Feeling like individual work matters and makes a difference

Having a clear path to advancement

Having flexible working hours

Feeling like their ideas are taken seriously

Everything that makes employees happy has to do with their level of job satisfaction. People who feel like a cog in a machine—that could easily be replaced once they are worn out—are going to be less happy than someone who believes they have a unique contribution to make.

Employees who don’t have great job satisfaction are less likely to give their best effort at work. They are less likely to think about ways to make the job or the company better. If you want happy employees who increase in value and increase the value of your company, you need to help them transform their “just jobs” into “great jobs.”

How to Transform ‘Just a Job’ Into a ‘Great Job’

Making the transformation from “just a job” to a “great job” is not easy. However, it is simple. Job satisfaction is rooted in three relationships:

The relationship between the company and the employee

The relationship between the employee and the co-workers

The relationship between the employee and the greater community

When an employee feels that the organization cares about him or her, job satisfaction improves. Organizations can improve this relationship through things like mentorships, fringe benefits that are meaningful to the employee, and regular career development opportunities.

Humans are social beings that need to feel like they belong to a larger group. Organizing employees into teams, emphasizing teamwork, and having a positive work culture will strengthen relationships between co-workers.

Employees with great jobs are working for more than just a salary. They are working to make a difference in the world and the local community. The more connection there is between the day-to-day work and the wider community, the happier employees will be. Volunteer programs and clear messaging about the organization’s vision can help forge these community bonds.

For more information on how Oasis can assist your company in this or any area of Human Resources, contact Oasis Outsourcing at 866-AT-OASIS (866-286-2747) or visit us online at www.oasisadvantage.com.